This post probably belongs under General Discussion but I cannot do that in talking about Roger Ebert.
The moment the newsflash came up on my screen saying that Roger had passed away I was a little taken aback. We all knew he was sick and that things were not good but his last blog post had distracted us from realizing how imminent the end was. I did not know Roger. I had heard him speak on his art but had never had the honor of meeting him. That did not stop me from immediately feeling a terrible loss and two days later that feeling has not subsided. Where am I going to look for guidance and inspiration? A Roger Ebert review provided not just his views on the quality and worth of the film in question, it also was a lesson on life. While Roger absolutely loved the art exhibited in a film, his reviews also related the film to real life. He frequently interjected his own life experiences in describing how the movie had affected him. He pointed out the lessons contained within the movie in plain, easily understandable language. Roger’s reviews spoke in no nonsense terms. That is probably why I placed him at the top of the film critics that I trusted, because I am a no nonsense bottom line person. I didn’t have to agree with him on the film’s rating, and often didn’t, but I would always learn from him. Chitown-Moviebuffs came about because of my desire to share my insights as a moviebuff with my friends. I felt enabled to do this in large part because of what I had learnt from my studies of Roger’s work over the years. Through his critiques I learned how to be analytical when I watched a movie and utilize my psychology and legal analysis background to help me appreciate the work displayed and the messages conveyed or missing. I couldn’t wait until Thursday evenings when his reviews of the new week’s movies would be posted. Initially I would only look at the ratings for some guidance on what to see that weekend (I try to see at least three new movies a week at the theater.) If Roger’s ratings differed greatly from another critic that I trusted then I would read the review to figure out why. If not I would wait until after seeing the film to read Roger’s reviews. They invariabley helped me see even more in the movie that I had initially missed during my viewing.
There are a few “good” movie critics out there but no one writing today comes close to the exceptional level of Roger Ebert. Just as he admired the art of filmmaking, he was the Master Artist of film critics. There is no one to take his place as the preeminent film critic. He had an understanding and a style that is unmatched by any of the prominent writer’s talking about film today.There is a wide spectrum between film reviews and film theories and analysis. Some people talk of Roger Ebert’s fim reviews but that is not a proper description of what he provided. Film criticism, the kind that Roger gave us, is a combination of analysis and evaluation. It is somewhat in the middle of the spectrum leaning more toward the theory and analytical approach. Christopher Zara in his tribute to Roger published in the International Business Times stated: “Film criticism has been dying a slow death for years, and Ebert’s slow death–a decade long battle that robbed him of the ability to speak — encapsulated that.”
One of the amazing things about Roger is that he did not lose his ability to speak, he just found a different way for us to hear him. Expanding his voice through his blog and newsletter Roger talked with us about current events, politics and meaningful tales. His debilitating illness resulted in his giving us, his loyal readers, even more. Let’s all put our thumbs up in tribute.
I never met Roger Ebert, but I am mourning the loss of a dear friend.
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